Microbrewery, adventure park plans flop

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This article was published 03/09/2022 (1266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Plans for a microbrewery and indoor adventure park on Pacific Avenue will not be proceeding, according to agenda documents for the next Brandon City Council meeting on Tuesday.

City administration is asking council to approve the expenditure of $61,000 from Brandon’s land acquisition reserve to repurchase 1305 and 1411 Pacific Ave.

Back in May 2019, two companies submitted bids for the half of the land: JWJ Enterprises and Bowerbird Holdings, owned by local businesswoman Robyn Sneath.

Bowerbird Holdings’ bid was selected by the city, which spurred some controversy after JWJ Enterprises entrepreneur Benjamin Loewen told the Sun his bid had been “substantially more” than the $21,000 offer by Bowerbird. That bid was far below the assessed value of the land at $200,000.

Then, two months later, the city entered an agreement to sell the other half of the land to JWJ Enterprises for approximately $40,000.

Eventually, JWJ would back out of the deal, and its half of the property was purchased for the same price by Bowerbird in October 2020.

A clause was attached to both deals stating that the city would retain the option of repurchasing the land should 50 per cent of development not be completed within two years.

However, nothing ended up happening with the property and the city states in Tuesday’s agenda that it has received written confirmation from Bowerbird that it will not be proceeding with development.

The city’s director of planning and buildings, Ryan Nickel, confirmed by email that this is why the city is exercising its option to repurchase the land.

The Sun could not reach Sneath or Loewen for comment Friday.

In an email, Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) said the projects in his ward were casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Indoor activity park use has seen a steep decline nationally,” he wrote. “Thankfully, a microbrewery recently celebrated its one-year anniversary on 10th [Street], and another coming soon on Princess [Avenue]. I can understand administration’s request to bring this land back under city control as it could spark renewed interest or alternative utilization.”

Also on Tuesday, a new honorary street name for Grand Valley Road could be approved by city council.

As the Sun reported last month, the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council sent a proposal to the city to add a second name to the road, which goes by the location of the former Brandon Indian Residential School.

The proposed name “Wokiksuye Ċanku” translates to “Remembrance Road” in the Dakota language.

It would not replace the existing name for the road, which goes through both Brandon and the neighbouring RM of Cornwallis, but it exist alongside it.

The city first amended its naming rules back in October 2019 to allow for adding Indigenous and other honorary names to its streets.

If approved, an honorary street sign will be installed at the road for a five-year period at which point the applicant will have to reapply for it to remain.

That won’t be the only BUAPC involvement at Tuesday’s meeting, with the organization’s community co-ordinator Michèle LeTourneau scheduled to provide an update on its activities since May and present its plans for the upcoming Truth and Reconciliation Week festivities at the Riverbank Discovery Centre from Sept. 27 to Oct. 2.

Council will also vote on whether to approve a bid worth $220,000 for road repairs submitted by Zenith Paving and modifications to the regulations governing food trucks.

» cslark@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @ColinSlark